Stoic Quotes

Yesterday I read through the preliminary material for Stoic Week 2015. (If you haven’t enrolled already, I urge you to do so now. The course officially starts tomorrow, November 2). It included a couple of excerpts on Marcus Aurelius which were mildly intriguing. Today I opened up the Stoic Week Handbook and am reading up through the material for Monday. The Stoic Handbook includes a brief section on “Self-Statements,” or maxims, which are short quips or adages that help us to remember core Stoic principles in our daily lives. They are words of wisdom to conjure up when we feel the need. I felt inspired to share a handful of my favorite Stoic quotes, the first of which I shared yesterday:

“Do you understand now how much easier it is to conquer a whole tribe than to conquer one man?”

Cities only stand but to fall! … And in the midst of things which have been destined to die, we live! We have entered into this kind of world, and we live under its laws. If you like it, obey; if not, go somewhere else.

(Seneca, Letters from a Stoic Letter 91, “On the Lesson to be Drawn from the Burning of Lyons”)

We are unequal at birth,
but we are equal in death.

(Seneca, Letters from a Stoic Letter 91, “On the Lesson to be Drawn from the Burning of Lyons”)

Be sure to enroll in the course and read the material. We’ll officially start the daily routines tomorrow.